Cycling enthusiasts from far and wide will be excited to learn of the launch of a major new cycle road race to be staged in South Kesteven in 2019 – starting and finishing in Bourne.

The press launch of the “Bourne CiCLE Classic” will take place at Bourne Corn Exchange at 3pm on Thursday 1 November (This strikes me as an odd time to have a press event because it clashes with the SKDC Cabinet Meeting due to take place in Stamford on the same afternoon. It means that none of the Cabinet will be attending the launch or that they don’t regard Cabinet members as important).

The event completes the quartet of events in South Kesteven.  First, in 2013, came the bienniel Stamford Georgian Festival and the following year Grantham hosted the first bienniel Gravity Fields festival. In early 2016, Phil Dilks, Judy Stephens and I successfully argued for “Parity for the Deepings” and the Conservatives soon agreed to a bienniel Deepings Literary Festival. At the same time there were also some mumblings about Bourne.

In Oct 2017, newly-appointed SKDC Leader, Cllr Matthew Lee announced “I have confirmed that Bourne will also have its own festival.  We haven’t decided on a theme yet, but we will work with various partners, including the Town Council, to make sure it’s a great success.  Personally I would would like to have an opportunity to celebrate the town’s superb motor-racing heritage”. Now, a year later, it has been revealed that the next best thing to motor-racing is cycle racing and Bourne is just the place to celebrate it, and next September is a good time to start. In all seriousness. for Cllr Lee to announce something last October and have it on the road within two years is pretty good in the local government sector which is famous for taking ages to organise anything.

The remainder of the official press release reads as follows:

“The Bourne CiCLE Classic will see professional road races for men and women, plus a Sportive event, over the weekend of 31 August and 1 September 2019 – promising significant economic benefits as well as an exciting spectacle.

South Kesteven District Council’s Visitor Economy team is organising the event and working with professional cycle event organisers including Colin Clews, responsible for the Rutland / Melton CiCLE Classic, to stage the event.

The routes, which fill a geographic race gap on the east of the UK, total 175 kilometres for men and 114 kilometres for women riders (one of the longest womens’ races in the UK calendar). It will take riders close to both Stamford and Grantham and will include historic Grimsthorpe Castle.

Coming at the end of the season, it is a golden opportunity for riders to justify their selection for the following week’s Tour of Britain and the World Championships in Yorkshire.

Professional cyclists will be at the launch, including Anna Henderson, Rebecca Durrell and Karl Lawrenson – with GoPro film of the route – as well as Race Director Brian Moran and Race Advisor Colin Clews.

Anna Henderson is one of the UK’s top road cyclists and winner of this year’s Ryedale Women’s Grand Prix.

Karl Lawrenson combines professional cycling with commentating, organising and race official duties, including the London 2012 Olympics.

Rebecca Durrell had two seasons with Drops Cycling and moved to Storey Racing for 2018. She is one of the most sought-after riders in the British peloton.

Colin Clews, a former international cyclist, is the creator and Race Director of the CiCLE Classic events, most notably the UCI listed Elite Men’s International Rutland / Melton CiCLE Classic which has run since 2005 and is Britain’s longest established single day international cycle road race.

Brian Moran has been involved in cycling for the last four decades and became a technical adviser for the National Schoolboy and Junior Championships. He organised two charity cycle rides from London to Moscow and another from London to Jerusalem.”

All enquiries:  01476 406412 andrew@investsk.co.uk”